TEMPE, ARIZ. — President Obama said the U.S. has grown complacent as a dominant military and economic power, forgetting important ideals in the rush to accumulate wealth and position through reckless "shortcuts."
Speaking at Arizona State University's graduation ceremony Wednesday night, the president used the nation's moral arc as a metaphor to urge students not to be satisfied with shallow measures of success.
"In recent years, in many ways, we've become enamored with our own success -- lulled into complacency by our own achievements," Obama told a crowd of more than 60,000 at Sun Devil Stadium. "We've become accustomed to the title of military superpower, forgetting the qualities that got us there -- not just the power of our weapons, but the . . . valor and code of conduct of the men and women in uniform."
He made approving mention of the Marshall Plan and the Peace Corps, two earlier American efforts to rebuild parts of the world devastated by World War II and poverty.
"We've become accustomed to our economic dominance in the world, forgetting that it wasn't reckless deals and get-rich-quick schemes that got us there, but hard work and smart ideas -- quality products and wise investments," Obama said. "So we started taking shortcuts. We started living on credit, instead of building up savings."
The crowd stood and roared when the president, wearing academic robes, entered the stadium and took his place on stage. Flashbulbs popped throughout his speech, which was also accompanied by thunderous applause.
Obama referred to an earlier dust-up over his not receiving an honorary degree from Arizona State. One university official had said the president hadn't compiled an adequate "body of work" to merit a degree. Obama made repeated reference to that phrase and acknowledged that his work was unfinished.
Urging students to continually push themselves, Obama said that he too wouldn't be complacent. Drawing a contrast between two presidents from the 19th century, he said: "If you think about Abraham Lincoln and Millard Fillmore, they had the very same title. They were both president of the United States. But their tenure in office -- and their legacy -- could not be more different."
Americans risk being overtaken if they grow self-satisfied, he said, pointing to competition from other countries: "All the while, the rest of the world has grown hungrier and more restless -- in constant motion to build and discover -- not content with where they are right now, determined to strive for more. They're coming!"
